AdWords training resources

[SSFCU]

Hi guys,

Aside from Google certification, can anyone suggest a good training program for Adwords? I'm studying their materials, but more formal training, where I can be tested in my knowledge and improve in certain areas as necessary. I want something with videos with demonstrations.

Going from organic SEO to SEM and am frightened!

Thanks,
Sarah

[SSFCU]

Thank you EGOL. That's a common theme I hear - start small, trial and error. As for costs and expenses .... it remains to be seen. I'm on the ground level in terms of both the new products and digital advertising in general. Right now I'm doing preliminary research for the benefit of our budget next year, which is how I ended up tinkering around in there and realizing I'm going to need some deeper-level training.

[SSFCU]

Thank you Kevin. I'll definitely check those out!

[EGOL]

One thing that come with the PLA ads, in my opinion, is an even high level of price competition.  So the same forces that make it difficult to succeed with Adwords are still in play.

I have not tried remarketing/retargeting.

My approach at present it to compete in the organic SERPs as an MSRP seller.  I have great organic visibility (especially long tail), a lot of traffic and sell a few items that my competitors ignore.  My site also gives great service to the visitor through content and video - no competitor is even close to matching.   So, we are still making lots of sales at MSRP.  This yields good profits on every sale.

I am also running Adsense across the site.  I don't think that it damages sales very much and it produces income with zero work.  So, I am happy not to be doing PPC and actually glad that my competitors are staying busy making lots of sales at very low profit margins.

[ChristopherGlaeser]

EGOL, What about PLA?  What about Remarketing/Retargeting?  Are you able to make money on either of those?

[EGOL]

Buy the easy books and tinker around.   Be ready to lose money.  But if you keep at it and keep doing your  math and eventually you will get better.

But, bottom line... Can you compete with the big boys on costs and expenses?  You can be a small biz genius but if you don't have the numbers you are not going to make money.

100% honesty here.  I love math. I know my numbers.  I have done LOTS of adwords training and even more self study.   I get killed at Adwords for most products.  Why?  I am up against people who have a 20% merchandise cost advantage and a 15% shipping cost advantage.

I could have Mahalanobis doing my math and would still get killed.  Because my competitors have a huge advantage on costs and expenses.

[EGOL]

His typical Adwords seminar is two days.  The first morning is about keywords and ads.  Everybody is watchin', sippin' coffee and smilin'.

Then the math starts after lunch.  I sit in the front and turn around..... quite a few of the people behind me are using their phones or are watching the screen with a "10,000 mile stare".

The second day... quite a few people are not there.... by the afternoon the math nerds are the only people left along with a few people with the 10,000 mile stare.

Now, I am not saying that he is a bad teacher.  He is fantastic. Fantastic.  He says there during every break, during lunch, back early after lunch, stays late to answer EVERY question.  The problem is everybody thinks that makin' money from Adwords is easy, you just write an ad and pay 5 cents a click.  Then they realize that they are up against genius people who have rock bottom costs who are really hungry.

[KevinBudzynski]

Try viewing the Lynda tutorial on it (the site has great tutorials--but I have never viewed this one). Also, Perry Marshall has a great book on adwords. Adwords get's extremely complicated and expect to many mistakes. Do your best at minimize them as much as possible and watch the numbers DAILY! Good luck!

[SSFCU]

For example, if I purchased the latest "For Dummies" book, would it even be timely enough? I'm looking for something at that level to get started.

[SSFCU]

This looks more advanced that I need at this point, but I need to bookmark this for later. Can you recommend any entry-level training?

[SSFCU]

Are Brad's materials something a non-numbers person can pick up? Or is it going to be totally over their head? I'm willing to learn.

[SSFCU]

I was afraid of that.  I am definitely a writer and not a numbers person. Luckily I've been collaborating with an analyst, but I need to know this stuff on my own.

[EGOL]

If you have not done so, consider reading. Advanced Google Adwords by Brad Geddes.   I have read it twice, and reread some parts of it many times.  Best book anywhere for adwords.

If you are spending major money on PPC then you must attend Brad's Adwords Seminars.  This is  two days of intense training for Adwords.  This is not a fluffy seminar.  The first morning covers the basics and then you get deep into spreadsheet math.

Adwords is not a word game, it is a math game.   This is not a seminar where you will sit, sip coffee, fart and go home an expert.  You are going to do lots of math that will require you to think VERY HARD.  But if you can learn what is being taught you will definitely make a lot more money and your competitors will be making a lot less.

Making money with Adwords is very difficult for me.  More difficult than SEO.  Why?  You are competing against the entire resources of your competitor.  They might have lower cost inventory, cheaper shipping, cheaper labor.   If they get 60% off MSRP and you get 40% off MSRP then they can spend that 20% on Adwords and still make the same profit that you do.  But if you bid enough to compete with them then you lost 20% off the top, then pay credit card fees, shipping from manufacturer to you, labor, shipping supplies.  You just made zero profit.

My suppliers are often the ones who bid against me on adwords.  Really really hard to beat them when they have huge cost and expense advantages.

Like I say, Adwords is a game for the people are really good at math, have highly skilled people making a website that converts customers like greased pigs, and are cut-throat competitors on costs and expenses.

You better know your numbers or you will lose your shirt.

[SSFCU]

P.S. I did research this, just looking for word-of-mouth recs. Thanks!